Services 1 — LOUISE DONOVAN

SELECTED WORK

Laid Off and Locked Up: Virus Traps Domestic Workers in Arab States, The New York Times

The pandemic and economic crises caused many workers to lose their jobs. My feature on the women who’ve been detained, abused, deprived of wages and stranded far from home appeared on the cover of NYT’s International edition.
Workers in Factory That Makes Kate Hudson’s Fabletics Activewear Allege Rampant Sexual and Physical Abuse, TIME

My exclusive investigation revealed allegations of abuse and harassment at a garment factory in Lesotho that predominantly supplied Fabletics, Kate Hudson’s athleisure brand.
Diamonds Brought Prosperity to Botswana. Women Workers Are Paying a Heavy Price, New Lines

My months-long investigation found numerous violations of standards at companies hand-selected by De Beers, including filthy workplaces and sexual harassment.
Rebels With a Cause, ELLE

After spending time with an all-female biker squad tackling India's rape problem, my resulting documentary and feature won a One World Media award.
‘The Smoke Enters Your Body’: A Toxic Trash Site in Kenya Is Making Women Sick, VICE

As rubbish piles up on a vast dumpsite, the women who sift through it for their livelihood are suffering reproductive health problems that scientists say have been overlooked.
Domestic Workers in Gulf Countries Vent Woes on TikTok, The New York Times

Foreign employees in wealthy households — most of them women — have been using the video-sharing app to bring abuses to light. This reporting won the ILO’s Labor Migration award.
Ready, Peggy, Go!

My interview with Peggy Gou in Australia for ELLE UK.
Female migrant workers speak out about harassment in Qatar’s World Cup hotels, The Guardian

Globally, women hospitality workers are vulnerable to abuse, with sporting events linked to increased risk. I spoke to five women about their experiences in Qatar’s hotels.
Violence Spikes As Myanmar Garment Workers Say Factories Are Colluding With the Junta, VICE

Reported with Burmese journalist Maung Moe, this story examined how brands such as Mango and Zara cut ties with alleged military-linked factories in Myanmar.
The world’s garment workers are on the front lines of climate impacts, Grist

I travelled to Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital, to dig into how climate change is impacting workers in fashion’s $2.5 trillion industry. This story was co-reported with journalists Snigdha Poonam and Albert Oppong-Ansah.
She Made Jeans for Americans. When They Stopped Shopping, She Turned to Sex Work, TIME

As the garment sector—one of the Lesotho’s largest employers—crumbles during the coronavirus pandemic, a 30-year-old factory worker turns to sex work to make do.
‘Dumped babies are just the tip of the iceberg’: The deadly consequences of curbing reproductive rights, The Telegraph

One example of my reporting on Kenya’s deadly reproductive rights. This story was shortlisted for the Anthony Shahid Award for Journalism Ethics.